Obituary: Roger C. Lakey

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Roger C. Lakey, 80, passed away on Oct. 27, 2007, of complications from prostate cancer. He had been an executive with Lennox Industries in the Iowa headquarters and later he worked in Portland, Ore. Prior to his retirement, he sold commercial real estate and was the president of the Oregon chapter of Certified Commercial Investment Members (CCIM).

Lakey was born Sept. 2, 1927, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Russell and Ersell Streit Lakey and was raised in Andrews, Ind. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1950 after serving in the U.S. Army. He married Mary Elaine Redick in 1949; she passed away in 1980. In 1982, he married Gwen Rawlins Burgess of Portland.

Lakey was a long-time member of the Rotary Club in both Iowa and Oregon. He was also a long-time member of the Multnomah Club, loving both water and snow skiing. He invented and patented a small tool used by recreational boaters. He also built three homes in Kansas City and Portland, including two floating homes on the Columbia River.

In addition to his first wife and parents, Lakey was preceded in death by his brothers Ward and Dale. He is survived by his wife Gwen; brother, Larry (Jean); children Jeff (Cynthia), Laura (Philip) Dye, and David (Carol); stepchildren Bob (Sheila) Bayman, Tracy (Pat) Garner, and Rick Bayman of Oregon City; and 13 grandchildren.

Publication date: 11/19/2007

Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to The NEWS Magazine